24 days have passed since the election train left. Less than a month left for voting. At least 64 opposition political parties, including 14 registered political parties, did not go to the polls under the party government.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) office has been locked for 43 consecutive days since October 28. A series of strikes and blockades are going on. Reliable sources of BNP said that such programs will continue for at least four months before and after the elections. The response to the hartal blockade early last month has faded slowly. At present, all the programs of BNP are jammed on the streets of Dhaka. The long-distance car is also leaving. The impact of the program is negligible. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is conducting a series of protest marches in the early morning. Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal are also taking part in processions in some areas. The leftist parties are marching in the Paltan Press Club area with 10/15 people from earlier informing the media.
In such a situation, there has been a demand from the grassroots of the BNP to leave the banner parties and give priority to Islamic parties including Jamaat. It is now more important to participate in the movement to overthrow the government than to calculate the political gains and losses. Reliable leaders have said that grassroots Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has spoken to the grassroots level leaders. Leaders and activists told Tarique Rahman that they saw a few demonstrations of left parties in Dhaka, but they have no position in the grassroots.
No program. Jamaat and Islamist parties that have manpower, gave their opinion on promoting new programs. Several leaders in the simultaneous movement said that those who are in the movement with the BNP have been informed whether the Jamaat can be taken under one banner program. A strange reaction has been created in the party alliance with this. Those who belong to the right-wing have no objection to taking Jamaat with them. But those on the left have objected to this. He also warned that if Jamaat is taken under one banner then they will not stay. Many have also asked to add Charmonai and Khilafat Majlish as an alternative to the Islamist party, excluding the Jamaat.
The leaders who objected to taking Jamaat with them are saying that the BNP is now a successful movement. In the last five years, many people have been killed by the ruling party on their program in agitations across the country, they are on the side of the BNP. Till now the political climate is still around BNP. Those related to politics say that Jamaat was the important party in the BNP-led government in the four-party alliance. In 2014, when the BNP-led coalition boycotted the election, Jamaat also took that decision, giving preference to the BNP and they also did not go to the polls.
In 2018 Dr. Kamal Hossain's leadership led by BNP and several parties formed Jatiya Oikya Front. There are 24 seats of BNP given to all parties of Oikya Front. And Jamaat alone was given 25 seats. Apart from this, Jamaat held separate elections in 4 other places by political tactics. Jamaat has been following BNP since the beginning. It is believed that BNP will have to go with Jamaat in the transition of crisis whether secretly or behind the scenes. Besides, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi recently said in a press conference that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has been deprived of justice. The Appellate Division has also dismissed the appeal filed against the High Court verdict canceling the registration of Jamaat as a political party. He said that the case of depriving justice by giving unjust judgment against anti-government political parties and political figures is not new in Bangladesh.
BNP's policy-making sources say - BNP's hartal blockade will continue until next 27th. In the meantime, some new programs will be given. Especially next December 17 is the last day to withdraw nomination papers. After that,The movement will have new tactics from the last week of December until the elections. When asked about this, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Abdul Halim said that there is a history of coalition and one-stage movement in Bangladesh. Jamaat was in one-stage movement in the past too. It has a successful history. Now we have to wait for some more time whether there will be a movement on one stage. He said that BNP would inform us about this. The Jamaat continued the movement to demand the government to be responsible for the fall of the government. Several of their leaders were killed by secret killings, many leaders were arrested and injured, he said.
Begum Selima Rahman, a member of the BNP's standing committee, said that whether there will be a movement on one stage with Jamaat has not yet been finalized. There have been some discussions. Now the government must fall. Profit and loss will be calculated later. We want everyone to come down to the streets.
ARS
